Americans have lost over $10 million because of phone scams

Americans have lost over $10 million because of phone scamsAmericans have lost over $10 million because of phone scamsRecently Truecaller Insights released its fifth annual U.S Spam and Scam report. Although 87% of Americans say they try to only answer calls if they recognize the callers number, almost two-thirds of Americans (61%) worry they might miss legitimate calls because they suspect they are spam and dont answer, the studys authorsexplained.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIn the last twelve months, Americans have lost more than $10 million dollars because of phone scams. This means, $244 is the average loss per victim, given 43 million Americans fell victim to fraudulent calls in the last year. This is a 39% increase since last years report. In 2019 the average American reported receiving about 32 spam calls, and 11 spam texts a month. The amount of successful scams has experienced an even sharper increase. The study reported a 70% annual rise in Americans that fell victim to phone scams in 2019 (one in six).Which group falls victim the most?Young adults and men (18 to 34) fall victim to these kinds of scams the most often, even though, young men, in particular, reported receiving the least spam calls out of all the demographics reviewed (with 21 being the most cited number by this group).The study reports, Two in five men aged 18-34 (40%) claimed theyd been victimized by a phone scam in the past 12 months compared to only 13% of men aged 35+ and 28% of women aged 18-34.Parents were also found to be distinctly perceptible. In fact, parents with children living in their house under the age of eighteen are three times as likely to fall victim to being phone scammed, compared to adultswithout children.The majority of scams are attempted on mobile phones. Eighty-three percent of respondents reported receiving a fraudulent call this way, with only 22% s aying it occurred via their landline.For whatever reason, households that earned more than $50,000 but less than $75,000 reported the least instances of scams. This group experienced scams about 12% less than the average, and about half as much as households with incomes between $75,000 and $99,000.Most common tactics,Great credit deal, is one of the most frequent preludes to a successful phone scam, though many different methods are used. Some standard scam phrases are listed in order of frequency below.Great Deal70% of Americans have received calls about getting a great dealYouve Won Something64% received calls saying they have won somethingProblems with an Account53% received calls saying there is a problem with an accountOwe Money50% received calls saying they owe moneyPolitical callsNearly half of Americans (49%) report receiving political callsWhat can you do?When Americans receive what they suspect to be a spam/scam call, the vast majority simply dont answer (71%.) A little l ess than half either block or report the suspicious number (43%). Fourteen percent answer immediately, and 8% call back later.As technology progresses, more Americans are shying away from traditional modes of long-distance communication. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they communicate through text, social media and email, specifically to avoid talking to someone on the phone. It should come as no surprise that this number surges among 18- to 34-year-olds (73%).You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Avoid Backfill Hell

How to Avoid Backfill HellHow to Avoid Backfill HellA couple of years ago one of my employees took me aside and announced she welches leaving.Sure, I said. Need to leave early? No problem. Everything caught up? But she meant she is leaving as in quitting.Hiring her finally made my team full. And I had a very lean team already. I believed it was no small problem to backfill the position.I was wrong. Learn how you can stay out of backfill hell as a leader.Quick explanation Backfill is a verb meaning refilling an excavated hole with the material dug out of it. As a leader, I warn you to stay out of this as much as you can. The news my employee shared with me brought me a big step closer to it. And its the worst of positions to be in.Why backfill hell must be avoidedThe business does not slow down. Recruiting is caught off-guard and pressed for resources while the possible candidates want to know why there is a vacancy.It does not have to happen as much as it does. How to avoid itIf your e not meeting with your team each week, start now. I understand there is little or no time for one more meeting on the calendar. If youre looking for more time, stop right now. Time isnt found, its madeSchedule the meeting and set the agenda.The time your team would normally spend fighting fires, they can now spend developing actionable items to improve resolving them efficiently.departure with a game-changing customer focus approach to staffYes, your employee is (or at least should be) your number one customer. Without him or her, you really cannot serve your paying customer.So, to avoid the land of backfill, you need to focus on your employee like you would a paying customer. Listen with the intent to improve things. Act with an energy that results in improvement.Listen for the subtext in their wordsHow do I manage this? I already listen. How do I improve these listening skills? I listen for the subtext. Somewhere in what your employee is sharing, there is a complaint. Too little time. Too much work. The system is too slow.Each of these problems are missing a solution. Feed the complaint back to your employee and start discussing ways to resolve it.Dont stop tryingEverything I tried with my employee to prevent her from leaving was being stopped by her already-made-up-mind. There seemed to be no way to win this one.So, I simply asked, Whats the problem? She replied, Were moving at too fast a pace. And the light bulb turned onCreate a smoother onboarding experienceShe needed a smoother onboarding experience. Great. I can make that happen, so that is just what I did.fruchtwein of the processes at work can be tweaked a bit without disruption. I found room in the process to adjust things and my employee had more time to get to know whos who in the company.She learned the how/why of what we do, which rules she could bend, and those she could not.At the end of the dayThe smoother onboarding experience I created not only kept her from leaving but also allowed her to greatly develop in her role. She became quite confident and, as a result, she performed really well. Perhaps, even more important, when larger problems came across her desk, she had no hesitation bringing them to me for help.Meet with your employees regularly. Listen to them as you would a paying customer. Listen for your next opportunity.Finding and resolving it might make all the difference in proactively avoiding backfill hell

The Resourceful Job Hunt

The Resourceful Job Hunt The Resourceful Job Hunt The Resourceful Job HuntBy Carol MilanoTodd Spurgeon was showing interested parents and prospective students Virginia Techs Invents program, designed for engineering students. The mechanical and aerospace engineering major mentioned his self-made, hand-built open source design of a three-dimensional printer as the campus tour group passed it. I had modified the design to have more capabilities than the original with some improved components. One parent, a naval researcher who had previously taken additive manufacturing courses at Virginia Tech, recognized that I had been pretty quick to pick up the skills, Todd recalled.The parent knew of a Penn State professor seeking summer interns and offered to recommend Todd. I sent some You Tube videos of what I had built and links to my current project, Todd recounted, They hired me, via elektronischer briefHis job consisted of a paid 10-week 2013 summer internship in Penn States prestigious Ap plied Research Engineering Lab, I had a blast I got to do research and designs to keep the U.S. a world leader in manufacturing, Todd said.Todd was lucky, but he had also been planning carefully. Half my reason for building that printer, he confided, was to get more experience in this field. I want to use and apply knowledge, rather than just get a degree for the sake of getting a job. I have learned that people like it when students take a class, then apply it to what they can do, which makes it a very rewarding learning experience. Just one year after my first exposure to additive manufacturing, I was involved with it at Penn State, who is a leader in this area.As Todd realized early on sending resumes, answering job postings, and attending career fairs are basic job-hunting steps. Finding ways to stand out by making your skills and ideas noticeable is a better strategy.Todds colleague, Greg Jannaman (BS, 2009) did just that. In his fourth year at Virginia Tech, Greg joined the Bl ind Driver Challenge, to develop a miniature car that sightless teenagers could drive. He became team leader of the successful undertaking, but never expected it to lead to a job. National Instruments (NI) provided all the projects hardware and software. When two NI senior engineers visited, they were impressed enough with the nine mechanical engineering students work to provide additional equipment and technical assistance. The added support helped Greg appreciate NIs goal of assisting not only academic pursuits, but also finding projects involving innovative technology that could help improve everyday life. At Virginia Techs 2009 career fair, with hundreds of exhibitors, Greg targeted NI. Throughout the interview process, he highlighted his Blind Car Challenge experience, particularly his leadership and teamwork, and demonstrated understanding of real-world engineering challenges. My big advantage was a passion for NIs mission and vision, positiv familiarity with their products. I communicated that I was not just passionate about the Blind Car Challenge, I wanted to bring this kind of project to other people, through other similar things we could do. He was hired.Resourceful Job-Hunt StrategiesResearch three to five companies exhibiting at an upcoming Career Fair. Practice describing skills and experiences that match each companys specific interests.Take on projects that highlight your enthusiasms and strongest assets. Let people know about them.Utilize your colleges resources, including mentor programs and alumni associations.Join local and national associations, including online groups, such as LinkedIn. Participate Share information about interesting articles or programs so people learn who you are and what is significant to you.Seek activities where youll meet people from different backgrounds, such as community service groups or campus programs. Remember, broadening your network broadens your opportunitiesNow a regional services and support manager for NI, based in Austin, Greg Jannaman is one of their Virginia Tech recruiters.What does he look for? When I see a student with a passion, doing everything they can to pursue it that puts them way up on the charts.

Hiring Market for Technology Positions in Q2

Hiring Market for Technology Positions in Q2Hiring Market for Technology Positions in Q2*/Read the infographic text.Q2 2017 Hiring Market Technology PositionsUnemployment rates for many technology jobs are well below the national rate, making it challenging for companies to hire these professionals.UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR TECHNOLOGY JOBSComputer programmers 0.7%Software developers 1.3%Database administrators 1.9%Systems analysts 2.3%Network architects 2.7%National unemployment rate 4.4%MANAGERS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH HIRING49% of small and midsize business owners said most hiring managers underestimate the complexity of the hiring process.READY TO HIRE? CALL ROBERT HALF TECHNOLOGY AT 1.877.269.7066.Sources U.S. Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics Robert Half survey of more than 1,000 business owners and human resources managers in the United States at companies with 1 to 499 employees 2017 Robert Half Technology. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.

What Makes You Unique How to Answer This Job Interview Question

What Makes You Unique How to Answer This Job Interview QuestionWhat Makes You Unique How to Answer This Job Interview Question8Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.Dr. Seuss knew it and so do you. Yet, how do you handle a question from a eignung employer who wants you to describe what makes you unique?Heres a sample question one company asked potential hires In 150 characters or fewer, tell us what makes you unique. Try to be creative and say something that will catch our eyeIt can be challenging to list your uniqueness and avoid sounding like every other candidate or without overstating your qualifications in a way that makes you sound pompous.As you considerjob interview questions to prepare for, what steps can you take to avoid being sidelined by questions about how youre unique?Here are a few suggestions about how to answer the interview question What makes you unique?1. Do your homework.One way to answer this question would be t o turn it around and transform the what makes you unique question into an opportunity to demonstrate what you know about your potential future employer. Said differently,research the company before a job interview, and when they ask why youre unique, demonstrate that its because youve thoroughly researched their brand and their products. Let your prospective employer know how they would benefit from your understanding of the companys position in the marketplace, as well as any creative ideas you have for the future of the company or your prospective position.2. Draw from your experience.Share with your potential employer a singular accomplishment in your background, or expand on an achievement from your resume, especially if it demonstrates qualities that are transferable to the job youre going after. Whether its an anecdote that says a lot about your work ethics, a project that shows off yourleadership traits, or an undertaking that offers evidence of your ability to multitask, sei ze the opportunity to shine.3. Mention what others have said about you.Another great way toot your own horn without actually having to do soyourself, is to relay what past colleagues have said about you. This provides a window for shifting the emphasis away from your own self-assessment while also giving you theopportunity tobring up your best job references.4. Share a relevant personal experience.Relevant is the key word here.By asking what makes you unique, hiring managers are giving you a little bit of rope so you can let loose about your special qualifications. But dont hang yourself Stay on topic and be very specific. If discussing a travel experience, for example, capitalize on it to demonstrate how that experience helped you use or develop skills that you can bring to your prospective position.Check out more job interviewing tips.Readers, have you been asked in a job interview to describe what makes you unique? Share your tips for successfully answering this questionRead more about this topic on the Press page

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Hard Skills to Put on a Resume

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Hard Skills to Put on a Resume If you do decide to incorporate a link (like to your LinkedIn page) make certain its professional and something which youd be proud to show to a prospective employer. Read through it a couple of occasions and youll probably spot three or four important skills mentioned repeatedly throughout the document. Its ideal to be ready The New Fuss About Hard Skills to Put on a Resume Your skills ought to be complete now, and youre going to need to ascertain the format you wish to use to include them on your resume. Go through the list and identify thetransferable resume skills youve got. Review their About Us page and see whether your soft abilities or attributes are aligned with the organizations core values. Then you may add in excellent Web skills, such as email campaigns and societal media. The History of Hard Skills to Put on a Resume Refuted Moreover, its notlage more or less writing about the skills. W herever you choose to place your skills on your resume, be certain to tailor your list of skills to the specific job. If you would like to showcase your organization skills, obtaining a tightly structured resume certainly helps. There are a few skills that will be utterly necessary for any successful candidate. If you would like to move into a new profession you may think you lack a number of the necessary skills. 3 First, you should pick the best skills for your resume. Listing your skills provides a chance to showcase your abilities and experiences to prime employers for the remainder of your resume. Effectively showcasing your communication skills can help you distinguish yourself from different candidates. What Is So Fascinating About Hard Skills to Put on a Resume? Maybe you have used project management software before or have completed a project earlythese all show very good project administration. In addition to the practical demand for developers in virtually every organization, programming skills demonstrate advanced problem solving skills that may promote a well-rounded professional. A good deal of jobs require you to have a background wisdom and expertise on the majority of the newest software. The Chronicles of Hard Skills to Put on a Resume While hard skills essential to successfully perform technical tasks in work, soft skills are required to create a beneficial and functional work atmosphere. In the majority of cases, your soft skills can boost your hard skills. Hard and soft skills together are a perfect combination. Both hard skills and soft skills are essential in order to be noticed and work nicely with a corporation. If you would like to build soft abilities, it may not be as easy as with the hard abilities, but nevertheless, it can be accomplished. Its slightly more difficult to describe soft skills since they arent measurable. Key skills are work-related skills that you want to do a job. Assess how good youre at every o ne of your abilities and talents. Hard skills incorporate the particular knowledge and abilities necessary for success in work. They are not skills that are hard to learn. They are part of the skill set that is required for a job. Hard abilities, also referred to as employability skills or technical abilities, can be quantified by your degree of expertise in the topic or years of experience utilizing a specific technique or program. For instance, cosmetologists and teachers need to have a certification, many medical professionals need to have a licence to practice, and several careers from engineers to architects require a degree. Your skills are an overview of what you could do for the possible employer if you were offered the work at this time. Exceptional people skills are an essential portion of what makes you such a standout employee whod be an asset to any company that offers you an opportunity to shine. The Chronicles of Hard Skills to Put on a Resume According to he r, its also the reason putting your information just in the header or footer isnt a good idea. You currently have a lot of skills, therefore its just an issue of rounding them up and figuring out which ones result in the ideal applicant package. For instance, if youve got a strong history with word processing and a work description necessitates experience with a particular processor which you havent used, you may use your experience to demonstrate the employer that youve got zero issue working with new word processors. Theres one particular problem, though. Hard Skills to Put on a Resume for Dummies Finding the proper applicant for a job involves a great deal of transparency on the portion of the poster. Sort by relevance If youre asking for a sales job, your prior experience for an auto mechanic isnt the most relevant. You are going to have rough time locating a work description that doesnt consist of communication as an essential skill. Therefore, if you come to an intervi ew, the absence of Soft Skills may be one reason you werent chosen for the job. Since many job seekers may list skills in a different section of their resume, in addition, it is important to weave them into descriptions under every one of your prior positions. The skills section of your resume needs to encompass all your very best qualities and attributes in a quick summary. In reality, there are particular jobs in which its important to set a skill section at or close to the top of the resume. The trick to attracting a possible employer to read your resume is to incorporate a mix of both hard and soft abilities both in the section devoted to skills and throughout the remainder of the resume. Definitions of Hard Skills to Put on a Resume For a different, its going to be simpler to judge if youre an excellent fit for the position. The nuts and bolts of that skill set will incorporate the tough skills an applicant will have to have in order to satisfy their duties. Paying at tention to detail is going to be needed at any role youve got. To begin with, if youre seeing a great deal of hard skills that you just dont have, it can be better to move on to the next position.

How to Avoid 7 Awkward Interview Moments - Spark Hire

How to Avoid 7 Awkward Interview Moments - Spark HireYou think youre ready to einstellungsgesprch job candidates, but then things get awkward. You cant get a conversation started, you dont know how to answer certain questions, or the things you say come out wrong. Now neither you nor the candidate knows how to act. You both walk away from the interview feeling embarrassed, and you both miss out on a potentially great opportunity. Dont let awkward moments ruin relationships with awesome candidates. Awkward job interview moments are bound to happen, but you can avoid these common ones with these tips Whats your personenname again?Youve been interviewing candidates for the saatkorn position all day. Your last interviewee arrives and youre ready to finish up the day strong. You reach out your hand as she walks into your arbeitszimmer and say, Hi, Ashley So nice to finally meet youThe candidate stares at you for a moment and says, Oh, actually, its Allison. You feel stupid, and the rest o f the interview has a weird vibe both you and Allison never get over that first awkward incident. The reverse can also happen and sabotage what would be a great interview. In a 2014 report of mora than 95,000 candidates conducted by Talent Board, 31.9 percent of respondents said they werent given any information from the employer to prepare for a job interview, and less than 40 percent were given the names and background information of their interviewers. That means fruchtwein job candidates walk into the interview without knowing your name. And accurately remembering the name of someone you just met isnt easy especially when dealing with the stress and pressure that accompanies job interviews. Dont embarrass yourself or your candidate. Prepare before the interview and provide candidates with the information they need to do the same. If you are interviewing multiple candidates in one day, schedule enough time in between each one to review the resume and application materials of th e next candidate.Pro Tip Use interview scheduling software to create a consistent scheduling pattern for your interviews.Less than 40% of candidates are given info on their interviewers AwkwardInterviewMomentsClick To TweetSorry Im lateYour meeting ran later than expected. While youre dealing with an unexpected situation, your candidate is sitting in the lobby, anxiously waiting for the interview to begin. Twenty minutes after the scheduled interview time, you finally greet the candidate and welcome them into your office. No matter the reason, starting an interview late isnt a great way to start off the interview and can reflect poorly on the company. Imagine if the situation was reversed. You would likely feel annoyed and probably write the candidate off immediately. In the same way, your candidate can be late due to circumstances beyond their control. Theres unusual traffic caused by an accident or road work, they need to find someone to watch their sick child the list goes on an d on.Avoid the awkwardness of lateness on both ends by exchanging contact information before the interview, that way you can shoot the candidate a quick text if you are delayed and vice versa. Another way to avoid being late is to conduct video interviews instead of interviews on-site especially early in the process.A one-way video interview doesnt require a scheduled time to complete. Candidates can complete them at their convenience, and you can review them when your schedule allows. While two-way interviews need to be scheduled, theres less that can go wrong to make either party late. Can I finish?Instead of interviewing candidates one by one, you opt to save time and interview a few at once in the form of a group interview. Your candidates are expecting to walk into an office and have a one-on-one interview. Now theyre faced with a room of competition and potentially a panel of interviewers. The stress level just got dialed up. You ask a question, and two candidates start answer ing at the same time. They go through an awkward apology before one agrees to answer the question first. During the next question, a candidate interrupts another while theyre giving an answer. Needless to say, this isnt going as planned. Your candidates dont know when to speak and when to listen. Meanwhile, your introverted candidates feel uncomfortable and arent contributing much to the conversation.Group interviews can quickly escalate to an awkward situation, so lead candidates through the process. First, prepare candidates and let them know of the interview format so they dont feel surprised and overwhelmed. Most importantly, help lead the conversation. Direct questions to a specific candidate, and then ask others to share their opinions when theyve finished their answer. If one candidate is shy, ask them questions and encourage them to speak up. I have to take this.Youre in the middle of an interview and your phone rings. You glance at the caller ID and see that its a hard to r each co-worker. Youve been waiting for their call all day, and you know if you dont answer now, youre unlikely to reach them again until next week. You apologize to the candidate and tell them it will just be a minute you have to take this call. You chat for a few minutes before hanging up the phone and turning your attention back to the candidate. Now where were we?Answering a phone call during an interview is rude and shows the candidate that you dont value their time. What would you do if a candidate answered their phone or checked their text messages during the job interview? Chances are, you wouldnt hire them.In the same way, candidates wont want to work for you if you pick up the phone mid-conversation. After all, a survey of more than 20,000 professionals around the world conducted by LinkedIn in February and March found that 83 percent of respondents said a negative interview experience can change their mind about a position or company they previously liked. Not only is ans wering the phone rude, it disrupts the conversation. The candidate is left to listen to your conversation, and is then expected to pick up the interview again when youre done. After such a large interruption, recapturing the flow of a conversation is near impossible.Dont answer your phone in an interview. Keep your cellphone out of arms reach and off. Remind your co-workers, boss, and employees that you will be in an interview at a certain time and that they shouldnt contact you.UmmmmSilence in an interview can be a good thing. It can give the candidate a chance to think about their answer before responding, as well as give you a few seconds to process an answer before you move on. But there are times when silence can be awkward.You ask the candidate a question, and they respond with a short yes or no. You wait for them to elaborate, but they never do. The silence seems to go on forever, and its difficult to get a conversation going with the candidate. In this situation, your reacti on may be to keep moving the interview forward to get passed the awkwardness. But in doing so, youre missing out on getting the information you want and on making a connection with the candidate. If a candidate gives a short answer, dont rush to move to the next question. Instead, ask them follow-up questions to get them to open-up and answer the question in more detail.When you wait for candidates to elaborate on a question, but they never do AwkwardClick To TweetFunny storyIn the interview, youre trying to build rapport with the candidate and make them feel more comfortable. But you could be trying too hard. At the start of the interview, you open with a joke. You tell a funny story from last years company picnic or you tell a joke you heard from a co-worker the other day. You get to the punchline and theres no reaction from the candidate. After a few seconds, they try to fake a laugh, but you know its forced. You feel awkward because your joke didnt land, and the candidate feels awkward because theyre nervous and not sure how to act in the situation.Just because jokes can go bad, doesnt mean you should stay away from them in the job interview. The interview doesnt need to be strictly serious, beginning to end. But forcing jokes can make things uncomfortable for both you and the candidate. Instead, try to use humor organically. If you have a funny story about a similar situation a candidate discusses, tell it. This shows that youre listening and engaging with the candidate, and gives them insight into your company culture. Humor can help break the ice and make the interview more personal and comfortable, but opening with a water cooler joke sets you up for an awkward moment.Im not sure.At the end of the interview, you open the floor to questions from the candidate. But their question takes you off guard. You dont understand the question or youre not sure of the answer. Maybe they asked about your high turnover rate, why the last employee left, or about team collaboration. You stare at the candidate, struggling to find the right words. If a candidate asks a difficult question or about a sore subject, tell them the truth. They will appreciate your honesty more than a superficial answer. In fact, 81 percent of employees surveyed by 15Five in March would rather join a company that values open communication than trendy perks.81% of employees value open communication over trendy perksClick To TweetBe open with candidates. Dont badmouth past employees or mention anyone by name, but you can tell them about problems without giving too many details. If you dont know the answer to a question, offer them the contact information of someone who would know. You can also tell them you will follow-up with them after the interview with an answer. Write the question down, get the answer from your boss or colleagues, and remember to actually send it to the candidate.In any situation where people meet for the first time, things can get awkward. Although yo u cant prepare for everything that can happen, you can avoid awkward interview moments with some preparation and forethought. Doing so makes the process easier and more enjoyable for both you and the candidate. Whats your most awkward interview moment? Tell us in the comments below